Assessment in the Work Place

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Need for Assessment
   1. Methods of Assessment
   2. Performance assessment
   3. Portfolio reviews
   4. Learning contracts
3. When to use a Particular Assessment?
4. Giving and Getting Feedback
   1. Useful tips on giving feedback
   2. Positive feedback
   3. Examples of good feedback
5. Skills for Effective Assessment
6. How to avoid failing
7. References

Useful tips on giving feedback

Some useful tips, adapted from the work of JISCinfoNET (2006, Sharp et al. (2005) and Singh (2006) for good quality feedback include:

• Ask the person to self assess first.
• Give praise before criticism.
• Limit what you cover.
• Concentrate on what can be changed.
• Give the student time to think and respond.
• Be clear and specific not vague.

Try to be clear about what the feedback is that you want to give. If you are vague then you are likely to increase the anxiety in the receiver and to be misunderstood. The receiver may feel attacked and react defensively. Focus on the assessment criteria.

Comment on specific behaviours and achievements rather than giving general comments which are hard to learn from. It is not very useful to say to someone 'You didn't use the flipchart very well'. It's much more useful to say, "It was difficult to read what you had written on the flipchart because your writing was rather small and the pen you used had a thin tip".

• Give regular feedback and avoid delay.

It is useful to receive feedback regularly. Try to give feedback as close to the event as possible. Delay in giving feedback can result in storing up grievances then delivering them all at once, which can be difficult to cope with. Feedback is only useful if it is given in time for the person to do something about any identified problems. It should focus on something that can be changed.

• Own the feedback you give.

The feedback you give is your own perception and not an ultimate truth. It is helpful if it is phrased as such: I noticed..., I find you..., I feel..., rather than You are..., You didn't...

• Give balanced constructive feedback.

People need to know what they've done right, or well. They need to know this so that they'll keep on doing it right or well, and also because it will make them feel appropriately good about themselves and their work, which in itself aids learning as well as feeling good. They also need to know why it was right or good. Learners sometimes do well by accident, so tell them why it was right or good, in what respects it was right or good. According to Singh (2006), positive feedback needs to be:

1. Clear: Don't beat about the bush. If you think it was 'great' or 'excellent' or 'admirable' or 'very stimulating', then say so. Have the courage of your convictions. (Don't worry about using clichés!)
2. Specific: Words like 'great' or 'excellent' carry a strong emotional message, but when the emotional buzz fades, the intellectual hunger remains. As suggested above, say what, exactly what, was good and say why it was good.
3. Personal: That is, make the person you're giving feedback to feel acknowledged as an individual. This will get easier as you get to know your students. Using their name in the feedback helps: "Emma, I thought they way you handled this was both valid and original. I particularly liked the way you ....."
4. Honest: As well as truthful, honest good news clearly distinguishes between fact and judgement. A numerical answer is 'right'; this is a fact. A design was undertaken 'rigorously'; this is an opinion, though hopefully based on clear criteria for 'rigour'. An argument was 'original'; a fact, at any rate relative to your own current knowledge. An argument was 'elegant'; an opinion, or at any rate a judgement. Be clear what the nature of your good news is.